Alex Hamalian comes from an Armenian immigrant family that has lived the American dream.

His mother worked in the sweatshops of New York City, and his father lied about his age so he could fight the Nazis at Normandy and the Japanese in the Pacific.

They had one dream: that their boys would succeed. That they would do better—and they did.

Alex and his brother were the first Hamalians ever to attend college. Alex went on to earn his juris doctorate from Lewis and Clark Law School in 1995 and has become one of the most prominent criminal defense attorneys in Oregon today.

And just this month, Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian formally endorsed Alex Hamailian in his candidacy for Multnomah County Circuit Court judge in District 4, Position 37.

“I would like to offer my full support for Alex Hamalian for judge. In the years that I have known him, I have found him to be hard-working, have a strong sense of fairness, and respect for people from all walks of life. I think he would make an excellent addition to the bench, and I encourage the voters of Multnomah County to give Alex Hamalian their support too!” —Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian

Many on the Multnomah County bench struggle to understand and fail to adequately serve the underprivileged and underrepresented members of their community. Because Alex comes from just such a community, he is uniquely situated to succeed as a judge for all the citizens of Multnomah County, in particular members of immigrant communities, the working poor and our veterans.

In his nearly 25 years of public service, Alex has been a founding member of the Multnomah County Circuit Court's DUII Intensive Supervision Program, or (DISP, and the Oregon State Bar's Modest Means Program. He was also a founding member of the longest-serving public defender organization providing legal services for the indigent at the East Multnomah County Courthouse.

As Circuit Court judge, Alex is committed to establishing an active United States Veterans Court. As with any successful program, such as DISP, the ideal therapeutic Veterans Court would:

Require strict accountability from participants and impose a graduated system of rewards and interventions to encourage positive choices and behaviors.

In his legal career spanning nearly a quarter century, Alex Hamalian has dedicated himself to serving the underrepresented citizens of Oregon: the working poor, the blue-collar middle class, and immigrant families that make up a large portion of the Pacific Northwest. It is Alex's desire to serve with fairness and compassion the currently privileged and the future privileged as judge.

“For 20 years, I witnessed Alex Hamalian tirelessly surrender his evenings and weekends to coach the Franklin High School mock trial teams. This wasn’t done for money or prestige or praise, but rather to give to the children of the poor and working class the knowledge and opportunity.” —James Dyal, retired teacher

Vote for Alex Hamalian for Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge in the May 15 primaries. Visit AlexHamalian2018.org to learn more.